40th Anniversary of The Beatles Final Concert To Be MarkedNew York City band The Badge to release tribute to the band's finallive performance from January 30, 1969

January 29, 2009 – For Immediate Release

New York, NY - The New York City-based band The Badge will release a recently discovered recording of its 2004 tribute to the final live performance of The Beatles on the fortieth anniversary of the event as a free digital download as part of its “Bootleg Series” of limited edition releases. On January 30, 1969, The Beatles performed material from their then as-yet unreleased "Let It Be" album, including "Get Back", "Don't Let Me Down", "Dig A Pony", "I've Got A Feeling" and "One After 909". The band were looking for a way to create a climax for the documentary cameras that had been tracking their rehearsals during January 1969, and did so by performing on the rooftop of their Saville Row, London, Apple offices. It was the band's final live, public performance together, and was stopped by police after noise complaints from area businesses. "Just as The Beatles treated London to a lunchtime concert, so did we," said Jeff Slate, founder of The Badge. "We broke up a cold, gray January day five years ago with a little entertainment and at the same time paid tribute to an historic event in the life of the world's greatest rock n' roll band. It’s hard to believe that it’s now the 40th anniversary of the last time The Beatles played together." The recording is of The Badge’s concert from January 30, 2004, which took place at Guitar Center's Union Square store at 14th Street and 5th Avenue (instead of its original outdoor location at Wall Street due to the extreme weather conditions expected in New York City) and again later that night at the infamous live venue Arlene’s Grocery. The recording was recently discovered during sessions to remix and remaster the band’s first album. “These things really do happen,” said Slate. “You always hear of bands finding recordings, but in this case that’s exactly what happened. It’s rough, but it’s a great document of The Badge at that moment in time.” The Badge did not, however, perform a note-for-note recreation of the concert, or dress up in lookalike costumes. "We didn’t recreate the concert the way your average tribute band might," said Slate. "We're a real band, with our own legacy to create. We played the five songs The Beatles played that day, but we did it our own way. To me, that's the real way to pay tribute. In fact, there's really no other way in my mind."

“The Rooftop Concert - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7 (Live)” will be released digitally on The Badge’s own DigitalRetro Productions/BadgeTunes Publishing imprint. The Badge released their latest single, featuring the songs “King Without A Country” and “Where You Are”, last year. In celebration of the band’s 10th anniversary it will release a “best of” this Spring, with a full-length album of new material – its fourth - due later in the year. The band will be touring the US, UK and Europe extensively in 2009.

Singer-songwriter John Martyn dies, aged 60

Known for musical marriage of folk and jazz, Martyn was one of the most distinctive and prolific artists of his generation

John Martyn ... his career as a musical innovator spanned four decades. Photograph: Richard Young/Rex Features

The singer-songwriter John Martyn has died aged 60.

Known for musical marriage of folk and jazz, Martyn was one of the most distinctive and prolific artists of his generation. His most successful album was 1973's Solid Air, the title song of which was said to be in tribute to singer-songwriter Nick Drake, with whom Martyn was often compared.

His career spanned four decades and he worked with numerous high-profile musicians, including Eric Clapton, David Gilmour and Phil Collins. He also worked extensively with his former wife Beverley Martyn.

For much of his career, Martyn enjoyed a lifestyle of typical rock'n'roll excess and later struggled with alcoholism. He once told Q Magazine: "If I could control myself more, I think the music would be much less interesting. I'd probably be a great deal richer but I'd have had far less fun and I'd be making really dull music." In 2003 his right leg was partially amputated after a large cyst under his knee burst, leading him to spend his latter years in a wheelchair.

Martyn was awarded an OBE in the 2009 New Year honours list.

A statement posted on his website today reads: "With heavy heart and an unbearable sense of loss we must announce that John died this morning." The cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

2009/01/26

Thursday, February 22, 2007Pete Townshend teams up with Lou ReedPete Townshend teamed up with Lou Reed for a trio of Velvet Underground classics on February 20th in New York City at the intimate club Joe's Pub. The set was part of Townshend and his girlfriend Rachel Fuller's latest low-key acoustic gathering dubbed Attic Jam. Townshend and Reed closed the show by performing "I'm Waiting For The Man," "White Light/White Heat," and "Pale Blue Eyes," with Townshend on acoustic guitar and backing vocals and Reed singing while playing an electric guitar."

Among the songs that Townshend performed were the Who's "Sunrise" with Rachel Fuller, "See Me, Feel Me" with Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis, and solo acoustic versions of "The Acid Queen," "The Real Me," "Drowned," and "Won't Get Fooled Again."

Throughout the show, Townshend and Fuller performed with such indie acts as Rachel Yamagata and Amos Lee. Comedian Jimmy Fallon emceed the event, which featured Townshend performing with each act, along with his own set. The next Attic Jam will be held on March 3rd in Los Angeles at the Hotel Cafe. The Who kick off their next of shows on Friday, February 23rd, in Reno, Nevada at the Reno Events Center.

Pete Townshend told us that the modern Who audience, which factors in many younger, less die-hard fans than back in the '70s and '80s, is more concerned with being entertained than in previous eras: "What's actually changed for us is that our audience has actually become the audience. It's not the Who audience anymore, it is the audience. When you go and play a festival now, you see young people who are willing to sit and watch the (Red Hot) Chili Peppers, you know, the Who, this artist, that artist and so on."